To be an effective marketer in today’s digital age, you need to understand the basic concepts and strategies used by online marketers. Today’s marketer has to be a digital rainmaker, understanding that digital raining is about generating business results online. The digital rain begins when marketers know how to generate leads and evaluate online consumer behavior data that is generated digitally across multiple platforms and technologies. In essence, today’s digital rainmaker needs to know where and how to meet their customers with a digital handshake.

But those who aspire to be a digital rainmaker should have a basic understanding of marketing principles before they start digital raining. They must understand that digital marketing is an exchange whereby one party creates a market to satisfy a consumer need in exchange for something of value. Most of the time, the value is currency, but it can also be a barter arrangement where the supplier receives something in return that he or she perceives to be of equal value.

Before any transaction can occur, marketers must first assess which consumer needs or wants are currently not being met or are only partially being met. Product and/or service concepts are developed and tested for feedback on consumer acceptance and production feasibility. The marketer must then determine what kind of market there will be for the new or adapted product and calculate the cost/benefit of mass production based on anticipated sales goals and returns on investment. Pricing, distribution, promotion, and customer service must be well thought out before launch.

With a solid knowledge of marketing as a foundation, there is also much more to being a successful online rainmaker than simply creating a Facebook and Twitter account and sending out promotional messages. Today’s digital rainmaker needs to know how to integrate traditional marketing principles with new platforms that focus on consumer behaviors, lifestyles, and online content consumption preferences. The rainmaker needs to know as much as possible about their target market. When and how often are they online? What do they search for and how do they interact with the information? Who and what influences your product interests and purchasing decisions? Are they sharing or watching social content? And what technologies are helping or hindering your conversion odds?

These are just a few of the countless questions online rainmakers are constantly seeking answers to in order to improve their digital marketing strategies. And like any new platform, the key to success is understanding both the benefits and shortcomings of each marketing vehicle. YouTube could be a perfect channel for restaurant or food product marketing, given the visual nature of food preparation and setting. But tech product team discussions may be more suitable for LinkedIn groups or tech forums.

Choosing the right digital marketing channels is only the first hurdle, because it’s just as important to understand how consumers react to your attempts to interest them in something you offer. Are they fit to click on a paid search engine text ad if the copy is intriguing? Will a rich media display ad on one of their favorite websites put them in their new category of potential customers? Or is it better to send them a time-based mobile incentive message to visit when they’ve checked in at a nearby store?

Once you’ve moved them through the online marketing funnel from awareness and information gathering to conversion, you’ve made it rain. But was it a light sun or a torrential downpour? It’s time to kick-start your powerful social customer relationship management (CRM) initiative to help build customer loyalty. With site tracking tools, you can better serve your unique interests and only feature relevant product offers in your database marketing efforts.

The digital rainmaker also needs to know how to make it easy for existing customers to share their favorable product experiences, encouraging online influencers to accelerate word-of-mouth marketing efforts. Many brands also use social media as a 24/7 customer support channel. Rainmakers can and should immediately listen to and address any unflattering comments on popular channels like Twitter and Facebook.

Being a successful digital rainmaker requires basic marketing knowledge and experience, a positive stance on salesmanship, and an unquenchable thirst for information and evaluation of metrics that can improve your efficiency.

I am passionate about sharing ideas and learning from my readers about the practical ways they are using new digital and social media platforms to grow their businesses. Follow my regular posts by signing up for email updates and embrace digital raindance.